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Will Smith. \n Photo: Jamie McCarthy\/Getty Images for National Board of Review<\/span>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWill Smith won’t let personal baggage<\/s> the Slap keep him from this year’s Oscars race. Although the Academy has barred the movie star from attending its glittering ceremony for the next decade after he smacked presenter Chris Rock, Smith is gearing up to once again place himself in the running for Best Actor in what would be back-to-back nominations. Described by Smith as a \u201cfilm about freedom,\u201d Emancipation<\/em>out December 9, <\/em>is a historical epic based on the true story of Gordon, a formerly enslaved man who posed for grotesque photographs of his bare, whipped back, which strengthened the abolitionist movement in 1863. For any other actor, this kind of Oscars-y film and what looks to be a gripping performance would make them a shoo-in for a nomination \u2014 but this awards season has the specter of the slap hanging over a certain Best Actor winner’s head. Meaning: Will Smith is hard at work on his film’s press tour trying to distance himself from the consequences of that fateful event. From the first video apology to the first full account of the moment, below is everything Smith has said about the Slap ahead of the 2023 Oscars.<\/p>\nJuly 29, 2022:<\/strong> Smith makes a video apology to Chris Rock and Questlove four months after the Oscars ceremony. (Smith first apologized in a statement days after the incident). In a video posted to his socials titled \u201cIt’s been a minute,\u201d the actor answers a series of frequently asked questions about the Slap. \u201cWhy didn’t you apologize to Chris in your acceptance speech?\u201d one inquiry reads. \u201cI was fogged out by that point,\u201d Smith says. \u201cIt’s all fuzzy. I’ve reached out to Chris, and the message that came back is that he’s not ready to talk. And when he is, he will reach out. So I will say to you, Chris, I apologize to you. My behavior was unacceptable, and I’m here whenever you’re ready to talk.\u201d He goes on to apologize to Rock’s family, making special mention of the comedian’s mother and his brother Tony.<\/p>\n\n \n<\/aside>\nIn response to a question about Jada Pinkett Smith’s involvement \u2014 a joke about her alopecia might have been what prompted Smith to do the Slap \u2014 he clarifies that she wasn’t involved and apologizes to both her and their children. Later, he apologizes to Questlove and his fans. The apology comes a week after Rock referenced the Slap in his Madison Square Garden set on July 23.<\/p>\n
November 28, 2022:<\/strong> In an interview with EW<\/em>the actor expresses his regret over the fact that the Slap could very well overshadow Emancipation<\/em>. \u201cThe only discomfort my heart has around that is that so many people have done spectacular work on this movie,\u201d he says. \u201cMy hope is that my team isn’t penalized at all for my actions \u2026 Everyone has done such spectacular work. I definitely lose a couple winks of sleep every night thinking that I could have potentially penalized my team, but I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that everyone gets seen in the light that they deserve.\u201d<\/p>\nNovember 29, 2022:<\/strong> The psychology of the Slap comes up in his first televised interview about it on The Daily Show With Trevor Noah. <\/em>Smith details what was going on in his head when he made the \u201chorrific decision\u201d to hit Rock. \u201cThere’s many nuances and complexities to it, you know, but at the end of the day, I just \u2014 I lost it,\u201d Smith says through tears. \u201cI guess what I would say, you just never know what somebody’s going through.\u201d He tells Noah that the phrase \u201cHurt people hurt people\u201d finally made sense to him afterward. \u201cYou just don’t know what’s going on with people,\u201d he explains. \u201cAnd I was going through something that night.\u201d<\/p>\n\u201cNot that that justifies my behavior at all,\u201d Smith adds.<\/p>\n\n \n<\/aside>\nSmith claims to have \u201cno independent recovery\u201d of the incident. As to why he did it, Smith speculates that \u201cit was a lot of things,\u201d including the trauma he experienced while growing up. \u201cIt was the little boy watching his mother beat up his father,\u201d he shares. \u201cAll of that bubbled up in that moment. You know, just, that’s not who I want to be. I was gone. That was a rage that had been bottled for a really long time.\u201d<\/p>\n